we have some new details to share this morning. dolphin bite. the alarming video from sea world starts a new debate. parents watching as a dolphin bites their daughter. and a red carpet night in washington. stars honored at the kennedy center, with so many talking about that dress. the first lady looking all glammed up in gold. good monday morning, everybody. taxes will go up for nearly every american in less than a month if there's no deal on that looming fiscal cliff. >> but even with that threat looming, lawmakers are still very far apart on their way to rein in government. there are differences on full display for all of us to see over the weekend. here's abc's tahman bradley. >> reporter: fiscal cliff talks have hit a stalemate. with only 29 days to go,

republicans and democrats remain far apart. and over the weekend, there was worry negotiations may actually fail. >> i think we're going over the cliff. it's clear to me they made a political calculation. before president obama and his team are demanding that they allow bush era tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of americans expire. >> there's no way we can govern this country with those low rates in place for future generations. those rates have to go up. >> reporter: but republicans have drawn a line in the sand in raising tax rates. instead, signaling they're open to raising revenue by limiting the tax code. it's a major sticking point. holding up a deal. >> right now, i'd say we're nowhere. >> reporter: president obama is looking for $1.6 trillion in new tax revenue over ten years. speaker boehner is offering half of that. there's $600 billion.

the speaker says that's not enough. although he hasn't outlined what he thinks should be cut. if they can't avoid the fiscal cliff, it means on january 1st, every american will pay more income tax, between 2,000 to $2,200 for the average family. $500 billion in automatic spending cuts will go into effect. half of that at the pentagon. the other half coming in transportation, food safety and research. economists feel if washington can't strike a deal, the economy will fall back into recession and the unemployment rate will shoot up, rob and paula. >> tahman, the clock is ticking in all of this. where do the talks go from here this week? >> well, the white house said president obama presented his plan last week and the gop leaders shot it down. now, the ball is in the hands of the republicans. right now, it's all about the math. republicans may have to cave on taxes but president obama may have to accept deeper spending cuts. only 18 days left. >> the messy art of compromise. tahman bradley live in washington.

and rivers are rising across northern california this morning after three powerful storms blow through in less than a week. the latest round of flooding rain drenched the area yesterday, knocking down giant trees and leaving nearly 100,000 people without power. high winds overturned tractor trailers. abc's cecilia vega shows us what it looked like in california wine country. >> reporter: this is a storm that slammed the west coast from washington all the way down to the san francisco bay area. and this, take a look at it, one of the hardest hit regions, vineyards all over napa valley under water right now. >> a much dryer day is on tap across northern california, but just after midnight, get this, a fourth storm moving in with even more heavy rain. >> no rest for the weary there. also, a major storm overseas is causing a mess of epic proportions on some roads in russia. early season snow all but shut down one of the main routes between moscow and st. petersburg over the weekend.

some eyewitnesses said the traffic jam stretched nearly 125 miles, trapping some people for two days. and a developing story overnight from japan. investigators say a rusted bolt may have led to a deadly tunnel collapse. nine people died when concrete panels on the ceiling of the tunnel came crashing down. the missing bolt had held those panels in place. now, there's an emergency inspection of dozens of similar tunnels all across japan. and back here in the u.s., a town in northwestern louisiana is evacuated this morning while a massive amount of improperly stored explosive powder is removed from a munitions facility. the 800 residents of doyline, louisiana, are out of their homes. they have no idea when they will be allowed back. police say 6 million pounds of powder needs to be removed. and dozens of people from southern new jersey are likely out of their homes for the rest of this week after a hazardous

chemical spilled from a derailed train. vinyl chloride released into the air and into a nearby creek. local nearby schools are open today but local courts are not. inspectors were studying the problem the day before the crash. a suspected serial killer has committed suicide in a jail in alaska. israel tease was being held in the kidnapping and murder of an 18-year-old anchorage coffee shop worker. her body was found beneath a frozen lake. the fbi revealed he's also confessed to killing a couple from vermont. four people in washington state. and also one person here in new york. an announcement is coming today from five states that class time is about to get longer for thousands of students. it's a test program designed to help u.s. schools do a better job of competing against other countries. 20,000 students in colorado, connecticut, massachusetts, new york and tennessee will get at least 300 extra hours of class time starting next year. >> i'm sure the kids are

thrilled. and former president george h.w. bush is still in a houston hospital this morning, being treated for a cough that he hasn't been able to shake after battling bronchitis. the 41st president is now in stable condition. doctors had originally thought he might be released over the weekend, but say they need to be safe in continuing to monitor the former president who is now 88 years old. it's time to check the weather. showers from portland to seattle. snow in the cascades and northern rockies. a foggy morning from des moines, chicago, st. louis and columbus. showers from northern missouri to green bay. near record highs in the midwest. also unseasonably warm for the east coast. >> we'll take it. 60 here in new york. 70 in atlanta. 80 in dallas. near 70 from indianapolis and kansas city. 70s in the southeast. 50s in the pacific northwest. >> not that we'd know it because it's 25 degrees in the studio today. >> like i like it. when we come back, fasten

your seat belts. airline executives are cooking up new ways to hit you with fees. >> just what we wanted to hear. then, went what wrong. the search for answers in the murder/suicide case involving nfl linebacker jovan belcher. and later, prepare for landing. the amazing time-lapsed video that shows just how busy our skies really are.

and welcome back, everyone. there's another recall for the brand-new ford escape that affects about 73,000 2013 models with 1.6 liter engines that

could catch fire. another 16,000 fusions, they're also being recalled. ford isn't sure what it's going to do to fix the problem but owners can get a free loaner car while the automaker figures it out. no injuries have been reported yet. well, get ready to get angry, folks. airlines are looking for new fees they can collect from passengers. they're already make something $36 billion a year from food, drinks, baggage, better seats. and now executives have spent a three-day conference recently, brainstorming ideas, that's right, for even more fees. airlines are looking to maximize how much they can make off the data they collect from their passengers. >> are they going to charge us for air? >> that's next, trust me. well, starting today, pope benedict is seeking a different follower. he's getting his own twitter account. the pope isn't a fan of computers and still writes his speeches by hand. so someone else will enter the actual tweets. his handle won't be #at hope.

it's already taken. and it was over 20 years ago today that the first text message was sent. a british text message sent from a mobile phone to a christmas party. it said merry christmas. hundreds of thousands of texts are sent every second using shorthand code l.o.l. >> hard to believe, 20 years. >> omg. i can't believe it's been that long. it's been a repeat at the movie theaters for what it always a pretty slow period. the latest "twilight" is number one for the third straight weekend. "breaking dawn 2" managed to yank in almost $17.5 million. right behind it it "skyfall" with $17 million. and "lincoln" was third with $13.5 million. >> i can go for popcorn. when we come back, a magician gets a nasty trick played on him. his hair set on fire on stage. also, powerful new evidence

about the link between hard hits on the football field and lasting brain damage. ♪ i woke up to a feeling ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ ...is amazing with the love that i found ♪ ♪

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so you can easily send them to us. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. ooh, la-la! the latest wave of drenching rain hit northern california. it is tossing dozens of trees as the ground became more saturated, many of those trees came crashing down on power lines, knocking out electricity to thousands of residents in oakland, as well as other cities. and expect some residual street flooding from that latest western storm. rain and mountain snow makings for a slick commute. and northern rockies. wet roads from green bay to northern missouri. and morning fog can hamper drivers in the midwest. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in chicago, detroit and minneapolis. in kansas city this morning, there are a lot of heavy hearts and one big lingering question, why. >> people are trying to grasp, why. why chiefs linebacker jovan

belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, the mother of his baby girl, then drove to arrowhead stadium and killed himself in front of his coach and general manager. and belcher's uniform hung untouched in his locker. members of the chiefs organization struggled for answers. >> it's tough. i miss him, you know. he's a great guy. a great teammate. >> he was an individual that did something that he snapped, and that, i don't understand. i probably never will. >> no history of concussions from belcher either. his teammates and 62,000 fans observed a moment of silence for victims of domestic violence. we're going to have highlights from the game in just a moment. and new research is coming to light strengthening the link between long-term brain damage and playing football. espn and pbs' front line are working on a documentary. and they report that scientists

have discovered 28 new cases of chronic brain disease in football players who have died, 15 of them former nfl players. one researcher says the sheer volume of cases will overwhelm anybody who wants to deny there's a problem. a family is accusing sea world of shrugging off a dolphin attack on their 8-year-old daughter. jillian thomas was feeding a dolphin in orlando last week when she broke the rules by lifting the carton into the air. the dolphin grabbed the carton, as well as the little girl's hand leaving her with huge bite marks. the parents are not suing but they're calling on sea world to make changes. there are two similar incidents back in 2006, but sea world says it has no plans to change the attraction. well, the fbi is on the lookout from arizona to mexico hoping to track down an 11-year-old leukemia patient and her parents who snuck her out of a phoenix hospital. the girl identified only as emily is seen in this surveillance video walking out

of the hospital with her mom. she still had a catheter in her chest when they got into a minivan driven by her father. doctors say emily could get a deadly infection and if anything happens, the parents could face criminal charges. also this morning, a bizarre story from the dominican republic. watch this as a tv host douses an american magician wayne houchin with flammable liquid. he sustained burns to his face, head and hands. he's now recovering and doctors are optimistic that he will recover without any scars. and college football's bowl season kicks off a week from saturday. but the really, really big games aren't until january. the biggest of them all, the bcs national championship pairs number one notre dame and number two alabama running up the bcs lineup, wisconsin and stanford. they will tangle in the rose bowl. bcs busting northern illinois from the map against florida state in the orange bowl.

florida and louisville in the sugar bowl. and kansas state and oregon in the fiesta bowl. as for the pros, only one place to start, our nfl highlights from espn. >> good morning, i'm hakem dermish with your "sportscenter" update. romeo crennel and the chiefs hosting the panthers yesterday with heavy hearts. before the game, a moment of silence for victims of domestic violence. first possession of the game, peyton hillis scoring from two yards out. it's the chiefs first open drive touchdown since december 26th of 2010. second quarter, cam newton to steve smith, 23-yard touchdown, nice grab. panthers up 14-10. third quarter now, brady quinn to jonathan bolduan. and the chiefs win 27-21, earning their second win of the season. ravens hosting the steelers. ravens could clinch a playoff spot with a win. steelers 0-6 against the ravens

without big ben. third quarter, ray rice. 34-yard touchdown, ravens up 20-13. fourth quarter. charlie batch. finding it deep. miller, seven-yard touchdown. game tied at 20-20. fourth quarter, three seconds left. shaun suisham from 42 yards out. it's up and it's good. batch earning his first win as starter since week 15 of last season. and the ravens' 15-game home win streak is over. that's your "sportscenter" update. i'm hakem dermish. have a great day. coming up next, "the pulse" this morning. and traffic like you've never seen it before. and say cheese. famous faces whipping out their iphones to snap the shots. to snap the shots. your favorite magazines and catalogs look better than ever. and with scrapbooking, you can save the things you love,

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oh, hey, everybody. it's time for "the pulse." we start with a starry night in washington. president obama leading the salute of this year's kennedy center. among them members of led zeppelin, late night host david letterman and actor dustin hoffman. >> motley crue gets the nation's highest awards for those who influenced american culture through the arts. mr. obama said all the honorees rose to the top after very humble beginnings. congrats to it all. >> we just have to comment about what the first lady was wearing. michelle obama turned to michael kors for the jewel-encrusted gold lame gown. for those attempting that regal look, rob. >> the first lady, and this from the state department reception honoring those kennedy center honorees. of course, that is former first

lady and current secretary of state hillary clinton and meryl streep doing what many of us do at a party, taking a quick snap of themselves on an iphone. >> i wonder if they have instagram. next, what's at least the fourth piece of valuable art that turned up at a goodwill store. it's a print called appropriately enough "red nose." bought at goodwill back in may for $12. >> turns out "red nose" was done in 1969 by american artist alexander calder. it was 9,000 bucks. the woman who bought it said she is keeping it at least for now. and now to an awesome look at holiday travel like you have never seen it before. >> this is really cool. check out this time-lapsed video from black friday. it may look like an air raid of sorts but actually, it's every plane arriving in san diego airport in just a five-hour period starting at 10:30 in the morning.

a california film professor recorded 60 planes landing and then squeezed them into a 20-second video. >> but the bridge in the sky were edited from a different time lapse. >> you got to realize, when you're up in a plane, just how many folks are up there with you. you just never see. that's why the video is so cool. now congested the friendly skies are. well, for some of you, your local news is coming up. >> i wonder if they charged a fee for that video. everyone else, we'll be back. the oscar red carpet rolls out a little early. the oscar red carpet rolls out a little early. people have doubts about taking aspirin for pain.

but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer. but the acidic levels in some foods can cause acid erosion. the enamel starts to wear down, and you can't grow your enamel back. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel, because it helps to strengthen the enamel. and i believe it's doing a good job. . next, a pair of early morning chp chases lands two in jail. we'll show you what happened.

>> rain is gone but has left numerous problems, it could be days before a huge sinkhole in lafayette is repaired. going to be a dry day mike tells us. tomorrow night more rain could be moving in. live doppler 7 h rain from madison to northern missouri. showers and mountain snow in the northwest. and finally from us this morning, with the academy awards just three months away now, four honorary oscars were handed out this weekend in hollywood. >> a-list was on hand to honor four men responsible for some of the industry's biggest hits. here's abc's cam mathison on the red carpet. >> reporter: they're some of the world's most popular movies. "blazing saddles." "beauty and the beast." "shrek." >> i know, i know. >> reporter: and "the lion king." these and hundreds of other films resulted from the creativity and clout of four men honored last night by hollywood heavyweights and the academy of

motion pictures arts and sciences at the governors award. you were recorded saying that you don't think you deserve this award? >> i actually think it's hollywood. >> reporter: jeffrey katzenberg head of dream works animation received an award. honorary awards were where given to george stevens jr. and four years ago, he followed the presidential campaign of clinton. i'd like to know what george stephanopoulos had to work with. >> well, he looked about 20 years old. >> we did something right. >> and smart as a rabbit. >> reporter: also honored last night hal needham. >> i'm shocked. >> reporter: the stuntman who directed smashes like "smoky and the bandit."

and "cannonball run." >> you need a shave, man. very disrespectful. >> reporter: who knew that richard gere had grooming tips. i got in trouble from richard gere for not shaving. you can hold on, i'll going to go shave. >> i look like this. i shaved! >> reporter: i'm cameron mathison in hollywood. >> did you shave today? >> i did. >> don't miss the academy awards coming up on february 24th right here on abc. coming up on february 24th right here on abc. >> that is what's making news captioned by closed captioning services, inc. good money day morning. 4:entirety thanks for joining us. what do you hear out there? -- >> i hear that we survived. >> that's right don't hear much. thanks for join us i'm kristen sze. i'm eric thomas. >>